


His Smile

by Kurtssingh



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types
Genre: F/M, M/M, Pre Sith Apprentice Qui AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-03
Updated: 2020-09-03
Packaged: 2021-03-07 00:27:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 598
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26267968
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kurtssingh/pseuds/Kurtssingh
Summary: Dooku did not care about being a Jedi or a Sith.
Relationships: Dooku/Qui-Gon Jinn, Qui-Gon Jinn/Tahl (Star Wars)
Comments: 8
Kudos: 41





	His Smile

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Ins0mnia (tornado_fox)](https://archiveofourown.org/users/tornado_fox/gifts).



When Dooku was a _Jedi_ Master, he taught Qui-gon Jinn everything he knew and hoped that one day this talented Padawan could become an outstanding Jedi Knight. Qui-gon did it. He passed all the trials. At the knighting ceremony, the young man tilted his head, watching his braid being cut off, and then cast a warm and grateful smile to the man — his respectable Master — who always dressed sharp and was in well-gloomed slick hair.

It was a smile that Dooku wanted to protect with his life.

The doubts about the Jedi Order forced Dooku to drift away from the "big family" day by day. Those once-friendly faces confused and disgusted him, and he seemed to be able to find hypocrisy and corruption in their missions of so-called _justice_. He believed in nothing and no one, except for his former Padawan, Qui-gon Jinn. The older man sometimes visited the young Knight in the garden, and the two would either share stories of their latest adventures or sit under a tree, listening to each other's silence. It was not because they had nothing to talk about — the communication between them was far beyond words or sound. 

During a casual conversation, this rebellious former Padawan told Dooku that he had fallen in _love_ with another Jedi Knight named Tahl. The older man tried to admonish Qui-gon, yet at the same time, he questioned himself why should he ever ask anyone to block this emotion that happens naturally. Qui-gon could embrace it, and _so could he_.

Later on, Qui-gon and Tahl came to visit Dooku together. They held hands quietly, looking at each other in the eye. The smile on their faces felt like the comfortable sunshine mixed with a slight taste of fine honey.

The moment that Dooku saw Qui-gon kneeling beside Tahl who was mortally injured, he finally realised this was one of the reasons that he wanted to prevent this relationship from happening. The tragedy was like a blunt jagged knife, brutally leaving unrecoverable deep wounds on the young man's heart — so hurtful that the pain tortured Dooku's mind, too. The Jedi Knight with beige hair sobbed and didn't even think of taking care of his own injuries for one second. He held Tahl's lifeless and cold hands tightly; that pair of beautiful eyes were filled with sorrow soaked in blue, and anger painted in gold.

Qui-gon Jinn held the lightsaber which was glowing in dim green light in his right hand, below the blade lied the corpses of those that caused the death of Tahl. Eventually, after a while, he turned around with blood on his face and looked to his former Master — yet Qui-gon's eyes were no longer able to return to the once clear oceanic blue.

"Master Dooku... Oh, Master Dooku," he turned off the lightsaber and whispered hoarsely, as all that had left in his shivering voice was grief and despair. "I have disappointed you."

The older man walked towards the heartbroken young man, gently took away the hilt from his hand and attached it back to Qui-gon's belt. "No," he shook his head steadily. "You have never disappointed me. Not now, not ever."

Tears poured down Qui-gon's face, washing off his joy, his optimism — his smile.

When Dooku was a _Sith_ Lord, he still taught and guided Qui-gon with all his efforts. The Jedis regarded the duo as the Betrayers and largely blamed Dooku for seducing Qui-gon to the dark side. Dooku of Serenno, however, simply shrugged it off, as he cared about nothing but a precious smile from his Padawan, his Apprentice.

**Author's Note:**

> A super short prequel story for Sith Apprentice Qui-gon AU. =D


End file.
